best time to take statin and BP meds

[1a2b3]

Hi, wondering what the consensus is on best time to take these meds . Originally, I was told to take BP medication’s at night along with my statin. While in the hospital, getting my stent, I was told to take my BP medication in the morning and the statin at night. Thank you

[baly_2023]

Hi

I take my aspirin, prasugrel, bisoprolol in the morning with breakfast.

At night I take my statin and ramipril.

The doctor said statins work better during your sleep and you'll get less side effects by not taking bisoprolol and ramipril together.

So that's what I've done ever since.

[Lowerfield_no_more in reply to baly_2023]

Some statins definitely need to be taken at 'bedtime' e.g. simvastatin, because if the way they work. Others like atorvastatin can be taken any time of the day, preferably at the same time, but might be better taken late in the day. Can't advise on the other forms of medication you take. I suggest you discuss with a pharmacist to get a professional opinion.

[Harvist in reply to baly_2023]

Exactly what I was told

[baly_2023 in reply to Harvist]

I didn't ask the question

[Ladylovesmilktray]

I was told to take my Statin in the evening as the body makes cholesterol during the night.

[1a2b3 in reply to Ladylovesmilktray]

Thank you ! I will ask my cardiologist again. Each practitioner has a different answe

[Lookintomyeyes in reply to 1a2b3]

I take statin at bed time and a3.125mg dose blood pressure tablet,in the morning I take another 3.125mg dose.Had 2stents,also a stemi so have some damage to heart but recovered well,enough to live normal life more or less.

[Happyrosie]

I was part of a trial to see whether blood pressure medication was best at night or in the morning.

I quote from the results of the trial :

“However, the TIME (Treatment in Morning vs Evening) trial – the largest study to date on the issue – found that there was no meaningful difference in rates of hospitalisation for heart attack, stroke and vascular death between people who took their medication in the morning and those who took it in the evening.”.

As has been said, some statins are best taken at night.

[1a2b3 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you ! It’s so hard to know sometimes you get conflicting advice from different specialists

[jerry12953 in reply to 1a2b3]

Which probably means it makes little difference.......

[Nikki051174]

Night statins morn bp tablets

[1a2b3 in reply to Nikki051174]

Thanks

[Ennasti]

I’m not on a statin however I was advised to take my bp meds at night to help prevent any accidents through light head was if it was to happen.

[pasigal]

I take statins in the evening and split my 5 mg bisoprolol morning/evening

[MountainGoat52]

After taking Losartan for over a decade suddenly an instruction to take it in the morning appeared on my prescription. I was doing that anyway, but no explanation was given.

I take all my medication in the morning, then get on with my day. I do take Nifedipine for Raynauds and often forget doses 2 and 3 at lunch and dinner times. It is not a problem for most of the year as a single dose maintains the status quo. Only in winter do I really need the full 3 doses.

[sandandkev]

Statins cause muscle pain which is why better at night, bp meds lower BP so if making you feel dizzy through day I'd take evening or bedtime

[Cairnview]

I take my statin at night, all the rest in the morning

[Survivor1952]

I’ve always taken my BP meds in the morning. Since my OHS I’ve also been on a statin that I tolerate and I take that at night.

[CyclingTime]

My doctor was very clear on Statins, take them as late in the day as you can

[L8Again]

My wife is on two BP medications. Her cardiologist is adamant that the drugs should not be taken at night as drugs plus the natural fall in BP when asleep could result in a fall if she gets up to go to the bathroom at night.

As far as statins are concerned, it depends on the half life of the drug. Simvastatin has a very short half life (5hrs) so it should be taken at night. Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin have long half lives (19hrs) so can be taken at any time of the day. I have been on all three, and I currently taken my Rosuvastatin tablet at breakfast time along with an Ubiquinol pill (COQ10). The latter is prescribed with statins in a number of countries (eg; Canada and Germany).

[1a2b3 in reply to L8Again]

Interesting about Ubiquinol . I too heard this should be taken when using statins . I asked both my cardiologist and my mom’s and both said won’t hurt , likely doesn’t help . Take if you wish but it is expensive. I am in Canada

[L8Again in reply to 1a2b3]

‘CoQ10 increases the amount of energy available to parts of the body that most need it: the heart, brain, kidneys and skeletal muscles. Not surprisingly, low levels of CoQ10 have been linked to an increased incidence of congestive heart failure, heart attacks and hypertension.

It does not make sense to take a cholesterol-lowering medication to decrease the chances of having a heart attack if that same medication is also increasing the risk of heart disease by blocking the production of CoQ10. In Canada, statin prescriptions must carry a warning about CoQ10 depletion.’

The above said, I agree that medical opinion is divided on the benefits associated with COQ10 supplements. The UK’s NHS advisory body - known as NICE - has ruled it out on the basis of COQ10 not being cost effective. This decision was based on statin adherence and reported muscle pain. The recommended approach to the latter is a change of statin.

[1a2b3 in reply to L8Again]

Thank you … yes is it quite costly but worth investing

[PinkKizzie]

Hi 1a2b3, I was told to take Pravastatin at night, it works best overnight. Take care.

[momander]

I think.it may d3pwnd on how much medication you take as well. O take my BP meds in the morning and statin at night . This is on the advice of my cardiologist. I was given it this way in hospital too.

[Ewloe]

I have not had high blood pressure but take ramipril after my heart attack. To help the scar tissue not to become stiff hence helping ejection fraction. Because it will lower my already normal blood pressure I was told to take it at night.

[Fazzle54]

I take my Chemydur, ramipril and atenolol in the morning and Atorvastatin at night (which is a pain for me as I often forget as I work nights) Not sure that helps 😔

[Frogman9]

I take my Bisoprolol, Amlodipine, Ranexa, Clopidigrol and Isosorbide Mononitrate in the morning after breakfast and Station and night, that's what I was advised to do.

[jaymamel in reply to Frogman9]

Hi Frogman I am taking Bisoprolol,Amlodipine,Ranolazine,Clopidigrol,Isosorbide Mononitrate,Losartan,Lansoprazole,Atorvastatin and Asprin.

Did you have a stent put in,I would like to know.We have similar medications.Except Atorvastatin I take all these medications after breakfast too.

I had stent put in in the begining of March

[Frogman9 in reply to jaymamel]

I had a double bypass 25 years ago I was told at the time that I really needed a triple bypass but my Right coronary artery was completely blocked and couldn't be bypassed or stented. I had an angiogram last month due to the fact I'm still having problems and it's down to the right coronary artery not supplying enough blood... But because I a full blockage and also diffuse disease in that artery it would be a very complex procedure to put right.

[fishonabike]

having seen the same study as Happyrosie I support what they said

as an ex-nurse I also know that the times at which medications are given out and taken in hospital have largely been guided by practical concerns like shift patterns and spreading the time of doses fairly evenly

the study of the most effective timing for medication is a fairly recent development and many doctors are unaware of the few findings - pharmacists are usually better informed on issues concerning medication

[Nuttyshirlz]

I was told off my Gp to take at night then I was taken into hospital with an allergy reaction to some other pills. So was on the drip heart dr came to visit everyone and stopped all my pills and said I shouldn’t be taking at night but morning and she wished GPS would not advise ppl to take at night. So i take on a morning now

[Avagra]

I take my BP meds (incl Ramipril) in the morning and another Ramipril at teatime with a statin last thing in evening.

[doktordru]

I'm on Atorvastin and was initially advised to take it at night - which seems to be standard guidance for Statins. When I discussed my meds generally with the GP practice pharmacist she advised that while that guidance is correct for older Statins (half life etc) a modern Statin such as Atorvastin can be taken in the morning if preferred. So after 3 - 4 months in that's what I did. Bisoprolol, Disp Aspirin and Atorvastin are all now a part of my morning routine and all is good - especially my Cholesterol scores! Good luck - as others may have said - if you have access to a Pharmacist do ask them - they are the real experts when it comes to meds, dosage and timings.

[1a2b3 in reply to doktordru]

Thank you ! I seem to recall a doctor saying take statins at night if you experience side effects such as muscle aches . On the flip side, I’ve had specialists say muscle achiness is not caused by statins . Many, I’m sure, may disagree

[doktordru in reply to 1a2b3]

when I first started taking Atovastin and getting back into the swing - (week 1 - 4 program post discharge) I was generally exhausted and the muscle aches in my arms (biceps/shoulders) were alarming. This around the same time two years ago the report came out saying Statins do not cause muscle ache. Anyway persevered and got fitter and the acute muscle aches disappeared. Still ache from time to time but that's usually post golf.

[1a2b3 in reply to doktordru]

thank you. It’s good to hear your aches have subsided. I have aches but really hard to pinpoint the cause

[Stentsandrun]

Depends on what type of Statin you are on, for that particular med. Atorvastatin has a longer "half life" than others so it doesn't make too much difference according to my GP, not sure about the others though I would discuss it with yours.

[MaggieSylvie]

Hi there from UK. My partner takes his Simvastatin with the evening meal, as directed by his doctor. Hope this helps a little.

[cappachina]

i was told morning for Bp and statin at night

[Lowerfield_no_more]

Below is an extract from the source referenced, which explains more about the best times to take a statin which might be of general interest to members

Best time to take different statins

It is important that a person taking statins follows the advice of their prescribing doctor regarding the time of day to take them. The recommended time, which is something that a person should discuss with their doctor, will vary depending on the type of statin.

Short-acting statins

A systematic review found that short-acting statins worked best when people took them in the evening. The people who took these statins toward the end of the day had lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels compared with the people who took them in the morning. Another review came to the same conclusion.

Short-acting statins work better at night because the liver enzyme that produces cholesterol is more active at this time. Most short-acting statins have a half-life of 6 hours. A medication’s half-life is the time that it takes for the body to process and remove half of the medication.

Short-acting statins include:

lovastatin (Mevacor)

fluvastatin (the standard-release tablet)

pravastatin (Pravachol)

simvastatin (Zocor)

Long-acting statins

It takes longer for the body to process long-acting statins, which may have a half-life of up to 19 hours.

The two reviews above noted that long-acting statins worked equally well whether a person took them in the morning or the evening. Therefore, people taking long-acting statins can choose which time of the day best suits them.

The authors recommend that people using long-acting statins take them at a time of day that is easy for them to remember. It is important to be consistent with the timing of doses, so if a person prefers to take statins in the morning, they should take them in the morning every day.

Long-acting statins include:

atorvastatin (Lipitor)

fluvastatin (the extended-release tablet)

rosuvastatin (Crestor)

Source: -medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

[Fazzle54 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Hi, thank you so much for this, very helpful!

[Bigscar]

I was told to take mine at night Rosuvastatin 20 along with ezitimibe. In morning Tiidiem 90, Losartin 50 Nicorandil 10 during day Aspirin 75 mg Gastro Resistant , teatime Tildiem 90 Nicorandil 10.

At moment I am the Guinness World Record Holder as The Longest Surviving Triple Bypass Patient 47 Years in August.

[1a2b3 in reply to Bigscar]

That’s amazing and wonderful ! Go you!

[Smitty1956 in reply to Bigscar]

Hi, Bigscar,

Huge congratulations on your Guinness World Record! 🏆🥇

That is truly amazing! ❤️

[Smitty1956]

Hi, 1a2b3,

When I was in the hospital following my HA, the nurses put together an actual chart for me that showed when I should take my meds—morning or evening.

They placed the BP medication to be taken in the morning and the statin in the evening. That was two years ago, and I have followed that chart every day since then.

I hope that helps. 😊

I will add that my statin is Atorvastatin, and I take 40 mg. each evening. From reviewing Lowerfield_no_more’s post (which was very helpful and informative), it would appear that I could take this medication at any time of day. However, since the doctors and nurses at the hospital charted the times to take all of my medications, and they suggested the statin be taken in the evening, I will follow that advice.